En visperas de la muerte

I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes is directed by William Nigh and adapted to screenplay by Steve Fisher from a story by Cornell Woolrich. It stars Don Castle, Elyse Knox, Regis Toomey and Charles D. Brown. Music is by Edward J. Kay and cinematography by Mack Stengler.

Hoofer Tom Quinn (Castle) is convicted of murder on circumstantial evidence. Sentenced to death row, Tom must hope his wife Ann (Knox) can find the proof of his innocence before his date with death.

Pretty routine noir exercise this one, but definitely of interest to film noir lovers looking for something they may not have seen before. In true noir fashion fate and coincidences play a huge part in the narrative drive, as does a bit of obsessive yearnings and questionable moral standing. The look is nifty, very noirish when the prison or the church is involved, or the nighttime shots in general, while there's a quirky edge to proceedings that always keeps the pic interesting. The ending is a disappointment (in true noir terms), and apart from the always reliable Toomey, the acting only just about passes muster, but it's worth a look see, even if it isn't the under seen gem some would have you believe... 6/10

This film would appear to have been 'lost' since it's release in 1948, and that's a shame as while it's certainly not the best film of the 'film noir' era; it's a good one, and a lot better than many of the more popular noirs. The film features the trademark noir gloomy atmosphere, and this is excellently complimented by the shots of the city at night. The plot focuses on the idea of bad luck, as many noirs do, and the title is a lot more literal than you may think. The plot isn't full of ideas, and mostly just focuses on the central theme; which is a bonus if you ask me as it means that the director can spend more time building up the central situation and as a result; the film is ultimately more thrilling. We focus on a pair of characters; both out of luck dancers. One night, they are being kept awake by cats outside their apartment and so, as you do, he throws his shoes out the window to shut them up. He retrieves them the next day, and soon after their luck changes when he finds a wallet containing two thousand dollars. However, the police come to believe that the money belongs to a murdered man; and the husband soon comes under suspicion for the murder.

The idea that the plot focuses on is good, and the shoes of the title are the centrepiece object - which helps the film as it gives it a real sense of irony. The acting isn't the best, but all the performers do well in their respective roles. Don Castle convinces as the unlucky law abiding citizen, while Elyse Knox gets most of the plaudits for her central role as his put-upon girl. Regis Toomey, who has previously worked with the likes of Frank Capra and Alfred Hitchcock rounds off the cast nicely, and takes a lot of the focus away from Don Castle with his linchpin role. The plot plays out well, and even though the film only runs for seventy minutes; it has to be said that the film explores most of the implications of the plot, and this is always interesting since there isn't any padding. Director William Nigh does well in creating mystery and suspense, and the plot all builds to a satisfying and somewhat shocking conclusion that sees all the characters get a fitting comeuppance. Overall, this isn't a great film, noir; but it's well worth seeing and hopefully it'll be uncovered soon and given a DVD release!

This rediscovered little dilly wouldn't walk away with any awards, but it's the sort of grade-B fare that makes film noir aficionados jump for joy! As is remarkably common in such flicks, the fog of confusion comes in on little cat feet--this time in the presence of two fighting felines on a fence. The protagonist flings his shoes at them, and fate suddenly starts tromping roughshod over him and his hapless spouse. The plot is somewhat plodding by modern standards, but its patient unfolding allows realization to creep slowly over the viewer, so that the conclusion is all the more credible and satisfying. Fans of crime and mystery films of the forties and fifties should find this offering to be a runaway pleaser!

The tap dancer and performer Thomas J. 'Tom' Quinn (Don Castle) is unemployed, and his beloved and beautiful wife Ann Quinn (Elyse Knox) is financially supporting their lives with dancing classes. They live in a simple room in a boardinghouse and one night Ann arrives later then usual. She explains that a costumer called by Santa Claus has tipped her to talk with her. There are cats meowing during the hot night and Tom throws his new pair of shoes through the window to stop the noise. On the next morning, Ann finds the shoes at the front door and brings them to Tom. During the day, he finds a wallet with a large amount of old 20-dollar bills near a scale and he intends to take it to the police, but Ann convinces him to keep the money and see the lost and found section of the newspapers during a week to see whether the owner claims his lost money. Meanwhile, in a building close to Quinn's boardinghouse, a wealthy and stingy man that kept his money at home is murdered and his old and peculiar money is stolen. Inspector Stevens (Charles D. Brown) keeps secret from the press and Police Detective Clint Judd (Regis Toomey) finds Tom's shoe print in the mud of the victim's backyard. When the couple spends part of the money, the police arrest Tom and Ann, and she notes that Detective Judd is the Santa Claus. The public defense attorney is not capable to prove Tom's innocence and he is sentenced to death. Now Ann's only chance is that Detective Judd finds the real criminal.

"I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes" is a gem to be discovered by fans of film-noir genre. Surprisingly, IMDb has only 376 voters and the low rating of 6,5 for this unknown masterpiece. The film has a great structure and is tense, beginning with Tom in the death row and recalling his fate in flashback. Then, when the situation seems to be hopeless to Tom, the viewer sees the desperate attempt of Ann to save her beloved husband. One important element in the story is the change of size of the 20 dollar-bill in 1948. The direction is tight and the performances are great. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Segredo dos Sapatos"

Tom Quinn (Don Castle) gets his last meal before his execution. He recounts his story to the other prisoners. He and his wife Ann Quinn (Elyse Knox) are struggling dancers. Police detective Clint Judd (Regis Toomey) investigates a murder investigation with a shoe print as evidence. Tom found a wallet full of old money. Both the shoe print and the money point the finger at him. Ann recognizes Clint as "Santa Claus", the man who gave her a big tip for a dance.

This is a film noir B-movie adapted from a pulp novel. It's a simple crime police drama. I do question the shoe print as that impressive of a piece of evidence. I like the opening on death row. I like Clint and his motivation. This is good pulp. This is a very solid and compelling crime drama.